Rev. Mark Robinson has served in Jewish ministries for over 38 years. From 1976 – 1980 he worked with Peace For Israel, Inc. and in 1981 he began his service with the Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, Inc. Mark and Cheryl moved from Florida to southern California in 1984 when he became Western States Director for Friends of Israel, and served in this position until the fall of 2000.
In September, 2000 Mark established Shalom Outreach Ministries through Faith Community Bible Church in El Cajon, CA, a suburb of San Diego, near the majority of Jewish people in San Diego County. In October, 2006 Rev. Robinson became Executive Director of Jewish Awareness Ministries.
Rev. Robinson has extensive experience in conference speaking. His travels have taken him throughout the United States preaching on subjects such as Israel and prophecy, Jewish evangelism, Jewish culture and the New Testament, missions, as well as other topics. Mark’s expertise is in Jewish evangelism and he shares the Messiah with Jewish people through personal visitation, on college campuses, Bible studies, using special outreaches such as Hebrew-Christian Passover Seders, and other methods. Rev. Robinson has written tracts geared for Jewish ministry, such as One God, or Three?, Identifying the Messiah, Intermarriage: The Jewish and Gentile Dilemma, and Can You Be Jewish and Christian?. He is also editor of the quarterly publication Israel’s Messenger.
I recently attended a Messianic Prophesy Conference where Stan Rosenthal was the featured speaker on Fri evening. I was very offended that he constantly refered to Yeshua as Jesus the Christ this is a very bad witness to those who attend that may not be believers as yet, considering we have been persecuted for centuries in that name. I think he could have said Yeshua and explained the name for those Christians attending, then at the end he refered to himself as a Hebrew Christian yet another slip of the tongue, he is not a Hebrew Christian but a Messianic Jew. Thank you for listening to my view I simply think he should be more aware of the way his words are perceved.
Shalom Diana,
I am sorry you were offended but I see no need to apologize for what Stan said. For example you said that his referring to himself as a “Hebrew Christian” was “a slip of the tongue.” I can assure you it was not a slip of the tongue. I am a Hebrew Christian and have used that terminology many times through the years with no slip of the tongue.
All Jewish believers are Hebrew Christians. Because something was done in the name of Christianity to Jewish people through the centuries does not change the fact that Jewish people who believe in Jesus are, in fact, Hebrew Christians, Hebrews (Jewish People) who follow the Christ (Messiah).
I have been a believer for about 36 years. I have talked with hundreds and hundreds of unsaved Jewish people. Not one was offended by the name Jesus, but many were offended by the person of Jesus. This is exactly what the prophet Isaiah, in 8:13-14, said: “Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Do Jewish people get offended at a Mexican, for example, whose name is Jesus? Obviously not.
The issue is not the name but the person. Calling Jesus Yeshua doesn’t change the reaction when the Jewish person understands who you are talking about. Whether He is called, Yeshua, Jesus, Iesous, or Jesus in any language it is who he is and what he has done that is “a stone of stumbling” and “rock of offence” to Jewish people. Yes, what Christendom has done in His name hasn’t helped but for most Jewish people today (with some of the very elderly who lived through the holocaust as the exception) this is not a major problem. Look, for example, at the intermarriage rate (over 50%) for Jewish people today with many of them allowing their children to attend even Roman Catholic churches.
I do believe that we need to be culturally sensitive when we share Jesus with Jewish people. Messiah instead of Christ certainly communicates better for example. Talking about the Jewish Bible or Hebrew Scriptures instead of Old Testament is preferable. But using Yeshua instead of Jesus with an American Jew, who most likely has no idea who you are referring to, does not communicate at all. You suggest that Stan should have used Yeshua and explained the meaning to the Christians present. Do you really believe American Jews know the meaning of Yeshua or who this refers to? My guess is more Christians know Yeshua is Jesus than American Jews.
If I am correct the meeting Stan spoke at was in a church. If there were unsaved Jewish people present, and I hope there were, would they not expect “Jesus Christ” to be talked about? And it was a prophecy conference! For Christians! Jesus Christ is a very acceptable name and title. It means Jesus the Messiah. Did not Stan at some point say “Jesus Christ” is “Yeshua Ha-Maschiach’? He often does when I have heard him speak.
I realize from your post that you are a Jewish believer in Jesus. I do believe you have accepted the use of Yeshua instead of Jesus without thinking through the issue. This is something that has arisen in the last couple of decades from the “Messianic” movement. It is, I believe, an over reaction to the wrongs done in the name of Jesus.
The issue is who is the Messiah and what has He done. His name identifies Him but who He is and what He has done is the real issue. When a Jewish person understands that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah, promised in the Jewish Bible, sent by the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, born of Jewish blood into the family of David (through Mary), the one who died for their sins as the Hebrew prophets foretold, and is the hope of Israel, the Jewish person embraces Jesus, or Yeshua if they are Israeli and Hebrew is their native tongue, and loves Him.
There is no reason for you to be offended at what Stan said. Yeshua Ha-Mashiach is Jesus the Christ. You are a Hebrew Christian if you are Jewish and believe in Jesus. His name is to be exalted in every language. Certainly, in a church, in the United States, there is nothing wrong with these terms.
In Messiah,
Mark Robinson
Hi Mark and Diana, I was interested to read your correspondence above and would like to refer you to:
Acts 11:26
New International Version (NIV)
26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.
It seems to me that Christians are Gentiles who have come to Christ, whereas Jews are Jews and remain so. Jesus Himself is Jewish. There are Jews who believe in Jesus as the Son of God and the Messiah, and Jews who do not.
One could of course interpret the term ‘disciples’ above as inclusive of the 12 apostles and the Jewish believers, I haven’t studied the period and the demographic in that much depth as yet …
However, as you point out, Mark, it is difficult for every Jew to come to Christ, myself included – it took 11 years for me to join the Body after I was born again through a direct meeting with the Trinity, and not in a church!
Diana, there is often a big difference between spiritual truth and sociocultural norms and ‘taking offence’ has the positive side of being a wake-up call. May His many Names be praised! He is the Giver of eternal life.
With thanks, in His Love
Mandy Steele
Israel
Shalom Mandy,
Greetings in Messiah!
Thanks for your comments on Diana and my exchange of thoughts.
The only thing I would disagree with you on is that “Christians are Gentiles who have come to Christ.” This statement is true as far as it goes but Jewish believers are also Christians. I agree that Jews remain Jews, but Gentiles also remain Gentiles.
The Greek word translated Christian means “follower of Messiah.” One can be Jewish and “follow Messiah” or Gentile and “follow Messiah”, or a Jewish Christian and Gentile Christian.
More than likely there were Jewish believers in Jesus in Antioch who were also disciples because in Acts 11:19 we are told those that were scattered abroad (see Acts 8:1-4) initially preached “the word to none but unto the Jews only.” It is safe to assume that numbers of those Jewish people came to believe in Jesus, as many others did in other areas.
Thus, when the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch this undoubtedly included Jews and Gentiles.
Blessings in Messiah,
Mark
Mark,
Thank you for defining the words Gentile, Hebrew and Christian. It has concerned me that more and more Messianic and Gentile Christians are separated by name and congregation as if they are different religions. I love the Jewish people and rejoice with those who have recognized and accepted Jesus as their Messiah and Savior. I have worked with a Jewish missionary organization in Israel and regularly receive the Friends of Israel publication.
Hi Marguerite,
I praise God for your love of the Jewish people and work with and support of Jewish missionary agencies. There is no greater need of both Jew and Gentile than to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus.
In Messiah,
Mark